The major announcement on the Agni-5 missile from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday is also a big message to Beijing and further strengthens the government’s image of ensuring the security of the nation against adversaries like Pakistan and China.
On Monday, India conducted Mission Divyastra, marking the inaugural flight test of the domestically developed Agni-5 missile featuring Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. The Prime Minister unveiled this milestone on the social media platform X.
With this achievement, India becomes the sixth nation, following the P5 countries (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), to possess such advanced capabilities incorporating MIRV technology.
Agni-5 primarily fortifies India’s nuclear deterrence against China, boasting a range of 5,000-7,000 km. In November 2021, India successfully tested the nuclear-capable version of Agni-5. Furthermore, on December 15, 2022, the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) conducted the maiden night trial of Agni-5 from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
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However, officials underscore that the latest test transcends previous accomplishments. They emphasized that “Mission Divyastra” enables a single missile to deploy multiple warheads across various locations, thus catapulting India into the esteemed group of nations possessing MIRV capability.
Government officials noted the noteworthy contribution of women to the project, with a woman serving as the project director. The system integrates indigenous Avionics systems and high-precision sensor packages, ensuring re-entry vehicles reach their designated targets with utmost accuracy. This capability underscores India’s burgeoning technological prowess, officials emphasized.
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